


Transverse

by Ithil



Series: Nine [2]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Captain America (Movies), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-03-13 11:31:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18940057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithil/pseuds/Ithil
Summary: The events of Infinity War and Endgame reach Brooklyn.  This is essentially the same 'fic as "Nine" but all spoilers for Endgame are here.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story does not stand on its own. Reading "Nine" first is necessary.

"Then Thor cut his head off with an axe."

"Sounds like it should have been more awesome than it was."

"Pretty much. But the universe-wrecking rhinestones are no longer in the hands of a big purple sociopath."

"So..." Jake trailed off into the phone. "Avenged, right?"

"Look, um... When we got back from space, Natasha said something..."

He didn't hear the rest. He didn't need to.

Gina told him things she shouldn't. Wakanda was full of magic trains. The passcode to Avengers compound was Tony Stark's SAT score. The Winter Soldier and Captain America's best friend from the Smithsonian exhibit were the _same guy_.

Didn't make much difference. Everyone knew that saying something to Gina meant Jake was going to know. 

"I kind of knew," he said. The "and it's okay" ached like a tooth after it had been pulled.

So that's what it took. A world-ripping event, and the person who'd been the other you since forever became dangerous, became deadly, didn't fit into your life any more.

"Is that Jake?" he heard through the line. An affirmative hum in Gina's voice, then "Put him on."

"Afternoon, Captain. Space, huh? And yet I'm still more surprised Gina let you touch her phone."

A laugh. "How are things in Brooklyn, Detective?"

"Different. The same. Not as hard to get an apartment as back when I met you, let me tell you." Then his mouth felt sour. "Sorry, that was—" He'd lived through a war; he already knew about gallows humor. "I mean I—"

"It's all right," said Captain Rogers. "I meant to ask you about that anyway."

"Sir, Gina just told me she's not coming back to Brooklyn."

"I know," he answered. "I am."


	2. Redirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brooklyn is still Brooklyn.

"Thank you all for coming," said Cap, managing not to nod at Jake and Terry. "For newcomers, this is a group talk session for people who lost partners in the snap. I'm new at this and still earning my certification. Would anyone like to start?"

"Well," said Terry, "I'm here because I got to stay strong for my two daughters and—"

"Why'd you move back to Brooklyn?" a woman with red hair interrupted.

"I'm not here to talk about myself," said Steve.

A man in a flannel shirt raised his hand. "Is it true what they say about you and the British chick?"

"I heard you were bi. Why weren't you at Pride?"

"I'm not going to—"

Jake sneezed loudly. "Sorry," he said. "Who wants to do 'I've done weirder'? What's the most messed-up thing everyone's pulled since the snap?"

"Jake, that's not exactly—"

"I turned all of my fiancé's voicemails into MP3s. My favorites are Amy yelling at me about groceries and Amy reminding me about the wedding planner. I literally can't fall asleep until I hear her complain about our neighbor lady's sloppy phone etiquette."

"We're here to talk about _healthy_ coping mechanisms—"

"I haven't washed Sherry's pillowcase since it happened," said Flannel Guy. "But our dog won't stop sleeping on it. It's practically grown its own fur."  
A man in button-down shirt pulled a piece of lined paper out of his pocket. "Last grocery list he wrote me. I've bought _so_ much Nutella—and I'm allergic!"

"Is that the low-fat Nutella?" asked Terry, "'cause I might be able to help you unload that."

"That's nothing. My husband didn't have a twin brother, but he does have a cousin who looks like him and one night I asked him to put on a—"

"We need to stop."


	3. Returned

Four years later...

 

"Which park was it?" Jake shouted into the phone as he ran.

"The one by the bagel place!"

"That doesn't narrow it down!"

"Where Scully got those onion rolls that time! Hurry up!"

Jake cleared the rest of the block, ducking past confused men. One woman saw his badge and nearly snagged his arm.

He skidded to a stop outside a patch of green.

"We were by the benches!" Gina's voice was choking. Or was there something in the background. He heard the muffled words, "Shut up, Clint!"

Jake swished his legs through the overgrown grass, then stopped dead. "Was she wearing a 'Gina Knows Best' onesie?"

There was a sound in Gina's voice.

Jake exhaled hard and picked Iggy up off the ground.

"I thought babies were supposed to cry," he held up the phone. "Come on, kid, scream or something for Mommy."

There was a funny sound on the other side of the phone. A tearing. A boom.

"Jake?"

"Hm?" he tried to position twenty-odd pounds of wiggly eighteen-month-old.

"Could you take care of her for me? Could you do that?"

"Sure, however long it takes. Nicky and I can manage. It's what, a six-hour drive?" God, he had to call Nicky.

The booming sound rose to a roar.

"That's not what I meant."

The phone went dead.


End file.
